DUNES GOLF & BEACH CLUB (843-449-5914)
Myrtle Beach Golf Course Review 3/23/08
The Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach is a 4-1/2 star (Golf Digest Places to Play) championship design that although a private course, affords public play with limited tee times available through affiliated resorts and hotels. This layout is considered by many to be the finest work of famed architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. Mr Jones incorporates many of his signature design features including long tee areas, rolling fairways with landing zones that are often defined by intricately shaped sand bunkers, and huge elevated green complexes.
Recognized as "one of America's Top 100 Courses" by respected publications like Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, Golf Weekly, Links magazine and may others, this course has played host to two USGA National Championships and six Senior Tour Championships. The par five 13th - nicknamed Waterloo, has been chosen by golf Digest and Sports Illustrated as "One of America's Best 18 Holes" and by Golf Magazine as "one of America's Best 100 holes". The design winds like a horseshoe around a lake, presenting golfers with a classic risk/reward opportunity on the second shot. Off the tee players have a wide landing zone (with placement as close as possible to the water on the right side the desired play), then must choose to cut off as much as they dare as the next shot carries over the water then angles 90 degrees towards a well bunkered green complex. With a tee shot heading in one direction and the approach basically coming back in the other, this hole is about as unique as they come! (reverse angle photo below)
The course underwent an extensive green renovation project and re-opened in December of 2003, and now features firm, high quality, A-1 bent greens, Rees Jones - the prominent golf architect of his generation, led the project, which also included minor alterations to the complexes on numbers 1, 6, 13, 16 and 18. The alterations keep in form with the designer's original intent while also facilitating the speedier roll of the new A-1 putting surfaces. These are now some of the quickest, true rolling putting surfaces in South Carolina!
This is a time honored, traditional layout with a list of club champions that includes Gary McCord, Hale Irwin, Gil Morgan, Jay Sigel, Jim Colbert, Raymond Floyd, Ben Crenshaw and 1962 USGA Women's Open champion Murle Lindstrom. Golfers will appreciate the rolling terrain with manicured fairways lined with pines and oaks, and framed with huge bunkers. In total, 78 sand traps are scattered near the landing zones off the tee or greenside, and water hazards also play a major role with 10 holes affected by water in some shape or form - including 8 holes on the back side. There are 5 sets of tees that play to distances and slopes measuring 7195 yards/144 slope, 6565 yards/138 slope, 6175 yards/135 slope, 5790 yards/130 slope and 5345 yards with a slope of 131 for women.
Though tree lined, there is generally ample landing areas along the fairways. The bunkers are generally deep and penal, creating difficult recoveries for those landing in them off the tee. Golfers will encounter many elevated green complexes with mounding and swales awaiting offline approaches. Holes 9 through 13 form an interesting stretch, beginning with a par three with a view of the ocean from the well bunkered green. Number ten demands a lay-up in front of a pond with a carry to a raised green on the approach, and the 11th features a second shot to a green surrounded by marsh on three sides. The par three 12th also has a natural area to its right (and plays to 245 yards from the tips) and the aforementioned par five 13th closes out one of the unique sets of golf holes in the region.
The property features a beautiful clubhouse with well-stocked pro shop, separate locker rooms with showers for members and guests, plus separate dining areas as well - open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Banquet/outing facilities for nearly 1000 people round out the clubhouse facilities. The practice facility is also comprehensive, with a targeted grass range, short game area with sand bunker, plus putting green. On course sprinkler heads are measured tot eh front, middle and back of the greens and cart paths are marked at 100, 150 and 200 yards. 150 yard stakes are posted on all par fours and fives, and each tee box also has measurements to the center of the green. Color coded flags indicate the day's hole locations.
If you have the opportunity to play this course - don't miss out! From the opening hole over a pond to the finishing hole with an approach that also features a carry over water (be careful here as the pond that comes into play about 70 yards out is not visible from the fairway on the second shot), this is a truly memorable golf experience! For more info, visit our page for the property, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
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